Grain saver for binders



fSpiQ'l', 1925f s. NO VAK GRAIN SAVER FOR BINDERS Filed NOV. 14. 1922 4Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

hi'fr issasi 7 I INVENTOR.

7V6fi6sss I I I r Sept; r, 1925. 5

. 1,551,842 s; NOVAK GRAIN SAVER ion BINDERS Filed Nov. 14. 1922 4Sheets-Sheet 2 6:2 1V0 val;

ATTORNEY.

Sept. 1, 1925. 1,551,842 S. NOVAK GRAIN SAVER FOR BINDERS Filed Nov. 14.1922 4 Sheets-Shet s ATTORNEY.

Sept. I, 1925i 5. NQVAK GRAIN SAVER-FOR BINDERS Filed NOV. 14. 1922 4Sheets-Shqet 4 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.'

|l llrlllllllll I Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

* UNITED sTA-rEs PATENT OFFICE.

s'rnvn novAK, or'nesrsr. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN SAVER FOR BINDERS.

Application filed November 14,1922. Serial No. 600,990(

To all whom it concern: v

Be it known that I, STEVE NOVAK, a citizen of the United States,residing at 2710 McCasland Avenue, East St. Louis, in the county of St,Clair and \State of Illinois, have invented certain: new and useful11nprovements in Grain Savers for Binders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates. to grainv saving devices for harvesters andbinders.

' froinpassing from the machine between the straw elevator and saidbinder table or deck.

With the above general objects in view, andothers that will becomeapparent as the nature of the invention is better'understood, the samconf istsin the. n v f bina ion, and. arrangem nt o parts h e ton frameperse; .v

afte more f lly e c ibed, Shown in the accompanying drawings, andclaimed.

In the drawings,v wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an. enlarged vtransverse sectionalfview, through; a portionof a grain, binder showing myimproved' gram saver appl e the eto.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view .upon the line 21-2 ofFigure 1, and looking'in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3. is a, top plan view of a skeleton frame with. a removablecover positioned thereon adapted for application'between the tw el v trc ses f abinde Figure dis a perspective view of a skele- Figure is {atop plaejview o-fanother skeleton frame with aremovabjle coverpositioned thereon, which. frame together with h -c er is whiptedv fo poitioning bene the: p tform can as an th l er el ca as o th -binderiFigur Gris aper pective View f he s ela o fr mepers I l, v V

Fig e I an-en sgedrer pec ive i w of one of the connecting linksemployed between the binder and one end of the skeleton frame shown inFigures 3' and i, and

Figure 8ris an enlarged fragmentary plan view of'a portion of the fabriccover for the skeleton frame shown in Figures 5 and 6'.

The frame F of the harvester and binder is supported on the usual bulland grain wheels (not shown) in the usual and well known manner.

- The outer end portion of the frame F 7 supports the usual grainplatform 1 and the platform apron 2 is guided over rollers R and R andis equipped with the usual transverse slats that are so arranged orproporthe platform 1. 1

The usual harvester and binder embodies a straw elevator including alower conveyor composed of an endless belt or apron 3 which is equippedwith slats S", said usual straw elevator further embodying an upperconveyor that includes rollers R and R over which is guided anotherendless apron 4 which is not used or is discarded in the use of thepresent invention. These two conveyors forming the usual straw elevatorserve in a well known manner to carry the cut straw between the apronsthereof from tioned that in operation they'will move over which isguided over rollers R and R and w the platform conveyor to the binderdeck or table, it being noted that the conveyors of the straw elevatorare arranged between a pair of side frame plates. disposed upon andrigid withthe frame F and in which the ends of the shafts of the rollersR R R arejournalled, thef-rame plates being rigidly connected at theupper ends of the straw elevator conveyors by meansof rods or shafts Aor C respectively disposed beneaththe rollers, R and R and between theselast mentioned rollers and the binder I deck. The construction thus fardescribed is conventional and well known in the art,

' and in operation has been found to be defective and to result in theloss of considerable grain straw as the latter is moved from the cuttingmechanis n' to the binder deck or table. The loss of the grain strawprincipally occurred by passing downwardly between the upper end of thelower straw elevator conveyor and the binder deck or table.

Considerable loss of grain was also experienced through the action ofthe upper conveyor' of the straw elevator at the upper e of the' tter byreason of the fact that s the endless apron of said upper conveyor andthe slats carried thereby travelling at relatively great speed causedthe straw to be projected upwardly in a scattered condition so as to notproperly fall onto the binder deck or table. Furthermore, considerableof the grain straw would find its way between the lower conveyor of thestraw elevator and the binder table or deck downwardly beneath the lowerstraw elevator. As will hereinafter be pointed out and clearlydescribed, the present invention embraces means for preventing passageof the grain straw between the straw elevator and the binder deck ortable and for guiding the same in a positive manner onto the latter.

I arrange a skeleton frame member 5 above the usual lower conveyor ofthe straw elevator and below the usual upper conveyor thereof, theendless belt or apron of said upper straw elevator conveyor beingrendered inoperative or preferably removed in accordance with thepresent invention. The frame 5 includes a plurality of spacedlongitudinal rods 7 having the upper ends thereof downturned asindicated at 8 for directing the elevated grain downwardly onto thebinder deck or table and preventing the same from flying upwardly in theobjection able manner above mentioned with respect to the usual upperconveyor apron that I eliminate, the downturned ends 8 of the rodsresting upon the rod or shaft A for support. The frame 5 has its lowerend supported through the medium of links 13 attached by bolts 15 thatextend through openings 14 in said links to the binder brace bar or rodB that overhangs'the lower end of the straw elevator and has its lowerend rigidly attached to the frame F at the rear edge of the platform 1as shown in Figure The upturned lower end portions 9 of the frame rods 7are connected by a transverse rod 10 and prevent the grain from climbingonto the upper surface of said frame 5 and effectively direct the grainfrom the plat form conveyor onto the lower straw elevator conveyorbeneath said frame A canvas covered wire frame indicated at '11., 12, isdisposed upon and suitably secured to the frame 5 for preventing passageof the grain straw upwardly through the frame 5 so that such straw iseffectively compressed or held in compact arrangement for being actedupon by the elevating lower conveyor of the straw elevator.

Another skeleton frame 6 is disposed and suitably fixed beneath thelower straw elevator conveyor and the platform conveyor, and the lowerhorizontal portion of this frame 6 is held spaced above the platform 1by any suitable means. As shown in Figure 2, the frame 6 is disposedbetween the front and rear members of the machine frame F, so that thesame is held in place against movement transversely of the conveyor beltor apron .2 and this frame 6 may be secured to the frame F in anydesired manner to prevent displacement of the same in the direction oftravel of the belt 2. The frame 6 consists of a plurality oflongitudinal bars 18, whose upper ends are downturned as indicated at 19to extend across the space between the binder deck or table and theupper end of the conveyor including the apron 3 whereby the grain strawwill be prevented from passing or falling through the space between thesaid conveyor and said deck or table and will be also effectivelydirected onto the table or deck. The ends 19 rest upon the transverserod or shaft C for support at this point and disposed upon the frame 6is a canvas covered wire frame as at 21, said cover 21 extending thelength of the platform 1 and then upwardly beneath the conveyor belt 8so as to provide floors for the platform and the lower straw elevatingconveyor. The cover 21 provides means for catching any grain that isloosened from the straw and conveying the same to a point above theplatform 6, onto which said loosened grain may fall by providingperforations or eyelets in the lower horizontal portion of the cover 21as indicated at 22.

It will thus be seen that I have provided effective means for preventingloss of grain straw and grain in its passage from the cut.- tingmechanism to the binder deck, and wherein such straw is effectivelydirected onto the binder deck as well as prevented from passing betweenthe lower conveyor of the straw elevator and the binder deck and fromflying upwardly in passing from said elevator conveyor.

As indicated generally at 98 in Figure 2, the cutting apparatus may bemounted in the usual manner on the front of the platform and customarywell known means are to be provided for driving the platform and strawelevating conveyors. The rods 18 of the frame 6 may be rigidly connectedby cross bars 20 as shown in Figure 6. The lower ends of the links 13are formed with curved portions 16 which cooperate with clamp plates 17for securing said links to the cross rod 10 of the frame 5.

The improved grain saving and elevating device is simple inconstruction, easily ap plied to or installed on any grain bindingharvester of ordinary construction, and it may be produced and appliedat a very moderate expense.

lVhat I claim as new is:

In combination with a harvester having a grain table, a conveyor beltmounted along the table, and an inclined elevator belt aligned with thegrain table and having its receiving end spaced from the delivery end ofthe conveyor belt. a. frame consisting of spaced rods having endportions disposed along the grain table and under the conveyor belt,said rods'having upwardly inclined end portions Which extend under theelevator belt,.the rods bridging the space betweenthe receiving end ofthe elevator belt and the delivery end of the conveyor belt, saidrods'being provided atthe. de-

livery end of the elevator belt with downwardly curved extremities, anda cover disposed over the rods under'the grain table and the conveyorbelt and under the elevator belt, said cover terminating at one end atthe downwardly curved extremities of the rods and at its other endbeyond the other extremities of the rodsand at this latter end curvedupwardly, the portion of the cover disposed below the grain table andconveyor belt being provided rality of openings.

with a plu- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

STEVE NOVAK.

